The Word Is Life

If we go to the Book of James at the back of the Bible, James Chapter 3 and verse 10:

“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

The power of the spoken word!

John Chapter 1, verse 1 says:

“In the beginning was the Word…”

So right at the beginning, everything happened by one word that was spoken by Almighty God: the earth, the stars, the galaxies - everything that we see and touch, everything that we smell and eat, came into being - incredible power in the spoken word, and we need to remember that because that word can bring life or death to some person.

It can either build up a person or it can break them down. We need to be careful of what we say.

And as I have said before, sometimes when you want to say something that is not right, count to ten before you say it, and the chances are you will never say it anyway.

We say things sometimes in the heat of the moment.

We don’t mean it but it comes out all wrong: “You little devils….” You know, when your children are misbehaving.

What are you doing? You are speaking a curse over your children.

“I wish you would just die!”

What a thing to say.

We really need to watch what we say.

Words can break you down and words can build you up.

And that is why we love the Word of God.

Every morning when I get up early, I spend time, first and foremost, reading God’s Holy Bible, which is His Word in print.

And that is where we need to major, in this time in which we are living, when there is so much negativity everywhere.

We need to speak life and not death.

I remember distinctly, over forty years ago, when I had just got saved, I had given my life to Jesus.

I don’t think I had served The Lord for longer than three months, and I asked my minister in Greytown, in the little Methodist Church in the main street, if I could bring the word.

And I must say, he was very brave, releasing me onto his congregation.

He could have lost his job.

But you know, the truth of the matter is, I got into that pulpit - I will never forget it - on a Sunday morning, and I was petrified.

I had never spoken formally before but I did meet the Man from Galilee and I fell in love with Him.

And I preached my heart out and after I had finished a lot of the congregation were senior people.

They came up and they kissed me. They hugged me. They said, “Well done, Angus. You spoke so well.”

Now, I am not so sure about that. I think maybe I spoke a lot of heresy and maybe apostasy as well, but my heart was right, and those dear souls gave me the courage and the strength to carry on with the work that God has called me to.

Speak a word today of encouragement.

Tell somebody how smart they look, how beautiful they look.

Tell them how kind they are.

Take them something and encourage them and build them up because this is what Jesus wants.